The New Press: Free Press, Where The Truth is the News

How can a Gazan person present himself if his image had been distorted due to the negative thinking that made him sterile and destroyed his abilities for imagination and creativity?

How can he even see, if he is wearing black glasses as thick as windshield glass with layers of rust that had been accumulated in his mind and heart?

And how could he walk if his prosthesis is also truncated.
By hundreds in Gaza they ask themselves? is not the same for the others? as they do not dare to question the others, whom have the infallibility of their command and the key to life.

In Gaza nothing is going according to the requirements of a decent life, and happiness.

We are talking about people that have the ability to adapt rapidly, who, if given 500 dollars today have the ability to survive tomorrow.

The people have become aware that there is another basic requirement to live that goes beyond food and clothing, the incentive to live, which they are losing every moment.

He could not imagine himself on a trip with his sons because he simply does not have a permit to leave Gaza’s barbed wires.

He could not imagine his son, as a journalist struggling with his pen to write against the corruption that prevents such things as justice, purity and freedom, because the advocates of justice and freedom in and around Gaza have their own law, which prevents others from speaking the truth.

This is the bleak picture cameras can pick up if approached from Gaza borders, and the question arises, what is needed from the Palestinian Gazans to do in order to live their life with dignity, freedom, justice and security?.

Gimpse from outside Gaza

For more than 60 years since 1948, the Palestinians didn’t exclude anything; they tried Expulsion, Loss, Displacement, War and finally Peace.

At the end, the Palestinians succeeded in making peace with the world, but a small question remained: Is it not better to make peace amongst them selves?

The Palestinians in Gaza didn’t understand that their case rests on three pillars namely: National domestic alignment, Arab alignment, and International alignment, and the relationship between these alignment, is sequential in the sense that the second axis does not arise only if the first axis is based, and so on.

Another small question: Where do the Palestinian pillars rest on his case?
He destroyed the first axis by internal conflict, exhausted all the ingredients,
therefore the Arab axis became unable to take up the cause torn.

He awaits the opportunity to escape from his duties because it is tied up at the same time for his own interests and thus become the international situation is less supportive of the Palestinian cause.

So Palestinians in Gaza are important for teeth of internal conflict and the loss of they case which was lost with the hope of freedom, justice and peace.

Therefore the Palestinians must bring peace to themselves before attempting to achieve a comprehensive peace with others. Furthermore, the world must bequeath dignity, respect, freedom and security to the Palestinians, and contribute to halt the conflict and put an end to the violation of the daily humane rights abuses.

The world will find that the Palestinian is just a person that dreams of raising his children and dreams to show them the future sky free of the dust of war, to show them the green land without the contamination of blood stains and dreams of flowers before they trampled under the tanks.

However, most importantly, the Palestinians in Gaza have to be free from all negative and wrong ideas.-

Before his profile was deleted from Facebook, he was another resident of the besieged Gaza Strip, with dreams to travel the world, and like any other young person with university degree with plans for his future.

He worked arduously for 2 years fighting the injustice of an oppressive regimen that sees the 1.5 millions residents of Gaza as enemies of war, but in reality they are regular, ordinary citizens like you and me.

Gaza is been under an inhumane siege for more than 3 years, Israel have destroyed their schools, public buildings, and thousands of homes.

The Occupations Forces had murdered thousands of unarmed civilians, dozens of non-violent protesters. Just in her last incursion what Israel equivocally called war, she killed more than 1400 civilians, including more than 400 children.

The world have been trying to help Gaza to brake the siege, and have organized land convoys and Sea Voyages, the whole world was in outrage during the piracy act of Israel that in International waters, assaulted and killed 9 peace activists, that only “crime” was to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, and with this, brake the siege, that the UN with it silence has stamped with official indifference.

Live in Gaza is less than pleasurable, the youth has no other entertainment but few left enjoyments not robbed yet by Israel. The beach is meters safe only, before it become a target practice for the Israel Occupier Forces that shoot live ammunition to the beach goers and fishermen as well.

Facebook have offered the escape window to the world for residents of the besieged Gaza, I meet my dear friend Shadi Nassar almost a year ago, his story was appealing for me, he told me his dreams. The dreams of a young person, that wanted to go study abroad. Really for most of the developed world, this is just a step in their education, but not for the youth of Gaza.

They suffer the problematic of countless troubles, simple documents that in a regular free country will take few minutes, for Gaza students that want to travel out of Gaza, is an huge waste of time and energy, documents signing takes months to get. Even the Palestinians Authority as in complicity with Israel make the procedures eternal and sometimes impossible to achieve.

Shadi, lost already an opportunity last year during the Gaza Massacre, where life become unbearable for the residents. He was ready to leave, when the assault started and all his dreams were killed with “Operation lead”.

But you can’t kill the dreams as easy as you kill a Palestinian, his resolved proved stronger than Operation lead, and he continued with his efforts to work again for another opportunity until finally “HE MADE IT OUT OF GAZA”.

We can say, that he broke the Siege in its own merit. His case is one to tell, because not all the youth, have the opportunity to fulfill his dreams, I can tell you that if we offer our support to help them in the outside world more students can achieve their dreams.

Scholarships are hard to get for Palestinians in the occupied territories, advocate in Universities to offer support for Palestinians. There are thousands of foundations that offer grants and facilities for students, but not for Palestinians, if you are part of this foundations, work hand and hand with the administrators to offer more grants for this students, that need more than anybody in the world. There are few foundations that I have found in the internet:

Support one student, you do not need to be rich, even hosting a student in your own home, or supporting their studies can make a wealth of different.

There are thousands of graduates from the University in Gaza, that need an opportunity to go study abroad, we are billions of compassionate being that can make a different for one Gaza student.

Lend your hand to them, show your humanity. Sponsor a student from Gaza.

My dear friend Made it out of Gaza, I wish I can write the story of hundreds of Shadis, this time he made the journey to freedom, he is free to decide if he needs the light on or off in his nights.

POWER OFF is no more an obstacle in his nights, Israel can’t manage his movements any longer, he is owner of his life for first time in his life, he decide if he wants a peaceful night, free from the memories of the aircraft bombing “invisible targets” in Gaza.

For first time he knows that his life is not IN VAIN, he has a purpose and a live to live.

Congratulations to Shadi Nassar, you broke the siege Dear.. But even in strange lands he took his home land in his heart, and he will keep fighting to free Palestine. Because the sons of the Land never forget their roots. The Beloved Land we know as Palestine is his most dear dream. To See her free of Occupation. Free once and for All.

By Sajjad ShaukatOn the onset, let me correct it that there are no Taliban in Pakistan, all that we are facing are criminals and terrorists pushed in here by Indo-Israeli network operating in Afghanistan. The western media who are under Zionist control have labeled them as Taliban only to defame this name that we use for students. It is highly objectionable to brand the criminals as Taliban. If this be the case then every student would be taken to be a terrorist then where would we educate our children and what would we call them? But for the sake of this paper I will refer them to as Taliban though they are not.Pakistan has made numerous protests to the US and NATO command in Afghanistan to reign them in but to no avail.The recent floods in Pakistan have provided a new level of devastation, especially in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where more than 4 million people have been affected by this natural disaster. The emerging landscape in areas where the water has receded is one in which bridges, roads, schools, health clinics, power facilities and sewage systems have been ruined or seriously damaged.While Pakistan’s high officials and foreign media said that overall impact of the floods now exceeds that of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, but at the same time some foreign media has started a propaganda campaign that by availing the opportunity, the Taliban can again return and organise themselves. They are likely to get the sympathies of the flood-affected people.In this connection, under the caption, ‘Flooding’s devastation in Pakistan is seen as opportunity for Taliban’, The Washington Post reported on August 9, 2010: “The slow-motion disaster underway in Pakistan as floodwaters seep into virtually every corner of the nation has devastated basic infrastructure and could open the door to a Taliban resurgence.”The Post further elaborated, “Over the past year, Pakistan’s army has succeeded in driving Taliban fighters

out of keysanctuaries in South Waziristan and the Swat Valley. But the damage from the floods could jeopardize those gains, unless infrastructure is quickly rebuilt—an undertaking that will cost billions of dollars and will probably take years.”However, it is misperception of The Washington Post including other western media as the fact of the matter is that the flood in Pakistan cannot lead to the Taliban resurgence. In this context, army officials are of the opinion that they are aware that the Taliban could try to seize the opportunity but they will not let that happen.Brig. Gen. Tippu Karim, who is overseeing relief efforts for Swat and other northwestern areas made it clear saying: “We have not let down our guard. The safeguards are still in place… reconstruction will be the top priority as soon as Pakistan can get past the immediate challenge of rescuing stranded residents and providing them with food and shelter.”These floods have diminished the propaganda of the west and the militants against Pakistan, because Pakistan’s armed forces which are helping the flood victims round the clock and have visited various camps—focusing on evacuating people from flood affected areas, distributing food, water, medicine and conveying dead bodies. The relief efforts particularly addressed the Northern Areas, evacuating hundreds of stranded people every day. In this respect, Pak Army has been performing excellent services in the flood-affected areas, which include more water bottles, ready-to-eat meals and cartons of dry rations and boats. Apart from army, Pakistan Air Force helicopters besides evacuation and distribution also delivered medical staff and medicine. PAF has continued the relief operations in the flood affected areas of the country. The entire C-130 fleet along with helicopters is engaged in flood relief operations.Pakistani navy boats spread across miles of flood waters as the military took a lead role in rescuing survivors from a devastating disasterIt is mentionable that the Pakistan military which had played a dominant role during natural disasters such as in the earthquake of 2005 has come to the fore during the present floods.It is notable that our army which has already broken the backbone of the Taliban in Buner, Swat, Dir, South Waziristan and other tribal agencies through successful military operations is now busy in fighting Taliban insurgents in some areas. Despite its engagement in a different war, Pak Army has been performing a remarkable job in the regions which have been affected by the floods.The women and men from troubled areas have highly appreciated all Pakistan’s armed forces, saying that they are saving them. Besides, various leaders of the civil society, political parties and media of our country including the general masses have also immensely praised the positive role of Pak Army in connection with the areas affected by the floods.Islamic charities including ones that are known fronts for banned militant groups have also begun distributing assistance in some areas, as have western nongovernmental organizations. But for the most part, residents said they are receiving no aid at all from these entities.It is of particular attention that more than 10 million people have been affected by the present floods. And billions of dollars are needed to rehabilitate the homeless people, reconstruction of roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure, while being a developing country, Pakistan government lacks resources in this regard. This fact has also been realized by the United Nations Organisation which recently revealed that destruction caused by the floods in Pakistan is more than that of the tsunami.

There is no doubt that although some countries, particularly the United States have provided aid to Pakistan in relation to the flood-affected areas, yet it is not enough and they have only fulfilled formality in this respect. For example,the US military has sent six helicopters, 91 troops and hundreds of thousands of meals from neighboring Afghanistan to help with relief efforts in Swat. In fact, each district which was cut off from the others, where the communications networks were jammed and where local roads were destroyed needs much help.Thousands of displaced villagers are still waiting for aid.As regards the resurgence of the Taliban, the current army leadership is very clear that there is a war that needs to be waged. If Pakistan’s armed forces leave the flood victims to their fate and if the only saviors for them are charity funds of terrorist organisations then there could be chances of Talibans’ return. And sooner than later, these organisations can start recruiting some of them into their ranks. But quick action by our defence forces has diminished the prospects of Talibans’ resurgence. Besides, people of the affected areas know very well that criminal activities of the Taliban militants such as kidnappings, beheadings, car-snatchings etc. had made life miserable. They wanted to impose their own self-style system of Shariah which was quite opposite to the real Islamic values. Hence, people have no sympathy for the Taliban and they do not favour return of these militants.Now the right hour has come that setting asides politics and without waiting for foreign aid—by recognising the scale of disaster and suffering which is so huge, we must donate and help the flood victims.Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Why I Write?

Why I write?

For many years I have the necessity to help people, to help them raise their awareness.

What is awareness anyway? We live in a congested world, crowed with technology, busy cities, polluted oceans, polluted skies, corrupt politician, world ravaged by wars, religious conflicts, dis-easies, and what are we doing? … We are doing nothing because we become uncomfortably numb to the misery of others, indifference has invaded our souls. We are too busy, life is passing by and we barely notice, for cry loud is 2008 already, we are getting old. What happened with our dreams? our Plans? Our kids had grown up.

We didn’t have time, gosh.. time went flying.

We were too busy, worrying about fashion, specials in the store, black Friday, inventory sale, what we will buy for Christmas to our kids, what we will wear tomorrow, we were too busy to realize that our life was going inadvertently, the TV kept us “informed”our kids were “entertained” and “educated”.

All that means that we were unaware of our surroundings we were in autopilot, running a program, assembled by the programmer.

Snap out… wake up… you.. yes you “You still have time”

Do you notice now?

I want to help you, I’m writing for you, I’m writing to you.

Is a necessity that I have to communicate what I know, what I feel.. because I feel the pain of others, the cry of mother earth, the calling of the stars, the calling of our brother and sisters because, they also want to help you, because they care.

I am not crazy, believe.. is happening I want to make it easy to make the shift. I want to help you to raise your awareness of your life. Being in contact with nature is a good start.